Conventional sunscreen products generally take the form of ultraviolet (UV)-filter compounds and/or particulate UV-screening compounds (collectively, “sunscreen actives”) that are solublized, emulsified, or dispersed in a vehicle, which is topically applied to the skin. The sunscreen actives, typically through the aid of polymers and other ingredients included in the vehicle, form a thin, protective, and often water-resistant layer on the skin.
While certain products are successful at providing a durable protective barrier when applied to dry skin, such is not typically the result when applied to skin that is damp with sweat or has residual water thereon. In fact, when applied to wet skin, the tendency of conventional sunscreen products is to dilute the sunscreen actives, smear, and form an incomplete film, often one that flakes or peels off the skin, and/or takes on a pasty, white appearance. The end result is unattractive, and renders the skin with poor protection from the sun's rays.
Others have contemplated a solution to this problem by using a water-in-oil emulsifier to “self-emulsify,” presumably in the presence of residual water present on the skin. However, the applicants have recognized that severe aesthetic and performance problems still exist in most all “wet skin” sunscreen products. Accordingly, the applicants have now identified a novel sunscreen composition that is suitable for use on wet skin and resists the tendency to whiten in the presence of residual water.